Crash Course on Skating

Have you visited our New Jersey ISC Mt Laurel location lately? If not we would love for you to roll on over for a visit! However, if ‘rolling’ is part of the problem, here are some helpful tips for those learning to roller skate for the first time:

Support: While skating is about balance, new skaters may need a little extra support from an experienced skater. To help a child, an adult should walk next to them and allow their index finger to be grasped as support with a relaxed arm. By not allowing a whole hand grasp, the child can learn to balance while feeling safe; likewise the adult can still switch to a full hand grasp if the child begins to fall. Experienced skaters can help novice adults while skating with them, by grasping their upper arm and opposite hand for steadying balance.

Crash-Stop-Pop: Falling is bound to happen when you are learning to roller skate, there is really no getting around it. If you fall (crash), take a breath (stop) and get back up (pop)! Don’t give up if you fall once or several times! Falling is just part of the learning process. To fall as safe as possible, either crouch down and forward with your weight in the front, or fall to the side by bending the knees downward as much as you can and plop over. Please try to avoid the out of control backwards air kick at all costs!

Practice March: Get a feel for your skates by practicing marching in place. When you feel comfortable with that, align your skates in a “V” shape (heels in, toes out). Then take small marching steps across the floor. This practice shows how regular walking will not work with skates, but you can move forward with the skates at an angle.

Ready to Roll: Now it’s time to get moving, at least a little bit. Practice propelling yourself forward and then just roll. Enjoy the small bursts of speed and get the feel for your skates even more. You’ll be speeding around in no time!

Obviously, there are plenty more steps than these for novice roller skaters to learn. The trainers at ISC Mt Laurel hold ‘Learn to Skate Classes’ every Saturday from 11am to 12pm and would be happy for you to join. See details at www.iscmtlaurel.com.